PART II: AFTER THE SEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 12: The Noblesse

(A/N: You’ll see that I refer to the protagonist of the storyline as a ‘traveler’ for the first part of the section before they join the Cygnus Knights. I originally called them an adventurer, but since that’s too similar to Explorers, this was the best way that I could refer to a class-agnostic protagonist, and you’ll find that I use the same term frequently throughout this site for non-class specific storylines.)

In Ereve, a young traveler came to participate in the Cygnus Knight entrance exam. While exploring the island, they came across a large mansion with training grounds, and though it appeared old, the traveler noticed that someone had been taking care of it. Just then, a Piyo elder arrived and greeted them.

(A/N: The Piyo elder has the same sprite as the one from Mihile’s storyline, but it’s a bit confusing about whether they’re meant to be the same person or not. The elder from Mihile’s storyline was voiced by a woman, but the one in the Cygnus Knight storyline refers to himself as a man. It’s possible that they were meant to be the same and GMS mistranslated it, but just to be safe, I’ll be assuming that these are two separate people.)

When the traveler asked whether the house belonged to him, the elder explained that he was merely its caretaker, and that those who had lived in it had left Ereve long ago. He then asked the traveler whether they were familiar with the Noblesse, to which the traveler replied that they had been looking for the Noblesse’s old lodgings.

The elder was surprised, as he had believed that the Noblesse had faded from human memory. He asked the traveler what they knew about the Noblesse, to which the traveler explained that they only knew that their ancestors had left a message saying to never forget the way of the Noblesse, as well as how the Noblesse had stayed in Ereve long ago.

The elder explained that the story of the Noblesse had been handed down through generations of Piyos, revealing that the Noblesse had been ordinary humans that held extraordinary faith. He told the traveler that Maple World’s early history had been steeped in war and chaos, with generations suffering an endless cycle of violence. Feeling pity for humanity, Shinsoo had used her power to protect them, and after the war, many began rebuilding their homes. However, a small number had stayed and learned from her teachings before journeying out in the name of self-sacrifice. In accordance with her will, they had chosen to protect the weak and stand against evil, and had soon come to be called the Noblesse.

The traveler asked where the Noblesse had gone, to which the elder explained that they had gone extinct, with many falling in the wars and the rest fading into obscurity. However, he revealed that one of his ancestors had dreamed that the Noblesse would return one day. Though he conceded that it may simply be a dream, he noted that they now had Empress Cygnus, whose ascension had restored a long-lost bloodline.

He then added that even the traveler’s arrival was auspicious, as they knew the Noblesse name and had come in search of them. The surprised traveler asked whether they could be a Noblesse, explaining that though they had come to Ereve in order to become a knight, the Noblesse sounded similar. The elder explained that Noblesse was neither a title nor a bloodline, adding that to his understanding, the Noblesse had never referred to themselves as such, as they had earned that title from the people for their good deeds.

(A/N: This line is a bit strange because a future quest reveals that Shinsoo was the one who had given them the name ‘Noblesse’. This opening scene in the storyline was actually modified from how it initially appeared in the KMS test server. In the original version of the scene, the entire premise about the Noblesse is different. The original concept for the Noblesse was that they were a clan tied by blood, rather than ideology. We’re actually a Noblesse who lives in the mansion and we’re training for the knighthood exam when the Piyo elder finds us. The elder’s story about Shinsoo is omitted because of the changes in the Noblesse’s origin. Instead, he tells us that lots of Noblesse have joined the Cygnus Knights and we hope that we’ll be able to honor our clan by becoming selected as a Cygnus Knight.)

The traveler, realizing that they were a descendent of the Noblesse, vowed to do their best in order to honor their ancestors. They told the elder that they wanted to protect people, which was why they wanted to be a Cygnus Knight. The elder replied that if they truly had that desire, then they would find what they sought. Realizing that the Initiate Trials were about to begin, the elder directed the Noblesse to be on their way. Before they left, the elder gave them a book about the Noblesse, which also contained information about what it meant to be a knight.

(A/N: This book is just the beginner’s guide that new characters get about basic controls, job advancements, etc. There’s a small section that gives a bit more backstory about the Noblesse, which explains that after the age of chaos ended with the fall of the Ancient Gods, a brief time of peace began as humanity rebuilt and created new kingdoms. Eventually, that peace was destroyed when these kingdoms waged war on each other. As many innocents began dying in the conflicts, the Noblesse carried out Shinsoo’s will and intervened to save as many as possible, for which the people began to call them the Noblesse.

The lore about the Noblesse is a new change introduced in the Ignition revamp, as the origins of the Noblesse had never been previously explained. Before Ignition, I had just assumed that ‘Noblesse’ was a fancy title that all the applicants who came from around Maple World got as an incentive to join. The Noblesse mansion in Ereve is also new, as I don’t think that there were ever any buildings seen on the island before, which is strange to consider since that implies that Cygnus and the others just sleep outside.

A future quest also reveals that the Noblesse had gone extinct during the mysterious war from 300 years ago, which made me really excited because I never thought that they’d ever reference it again. The last mention of the war was in 2018 during the MSEA localization for MONAD, but MONAD isn’t a canon story, as it was created as an overseas exclusive blockbuster. Additionally, the line in MSEA about the 300-year-old war actually doesn’t exist in GMS, which is the original source for MONAD. This means that the last actual canon mention about the war was back in 2011 during Phantom’s storyline.)

The Noblesse then attended the Knight’s Orientation, where a ceremony was being held to welcome those who wished to join the ranks of the Cygnus Knights. At the ceremony, Mihile greeted the prospective candidates and informed them that though he wished that all the candidates could join their ranks, not everyone would make the cut. He explained that the Cygnus Knights had been created to be the shield and spear of the Empress, to protect her and to fight against the Black Mage. He then noticed the Noblesse’s determined look and asked what drove them. He was pleased to hear their response that they wanted to protect others. He then told them not to reveal their name, adding that he would learn it if they passed the trials, when their name would follow the word ‘Sir’ upon knighthood.

(A/N: In the test server, Mihile told the Noblesse that upon becoming a Cygnus Knight, they would no longer be a noble or be part of a clan, to which the Noblesse told him that they’ve come to be a Knight, not a nobleperson, which was the answer that had originally pleased Mihile. I’m guessing that the reason why they changed this lore was because if you think about it, if all the Noblesse become Cygnus Knights by following their sense of duty, they would all have to sever their ties to their clan and their fancy mansion, which means that pretty soon, the Noblesse clan would go extinct. Most likely, the writers changed the Noblesse lore after realizing the accidental implication of what it means for the Noblesse to forfeit their titles.)

After the welcoming ceremony, the Noblesse underwent several examinations that tested their physical strength and knowledge. During the exam, the Noblesse wandered over to a pavilion, where they encountered Empress Cygnus. Unaware of her true identity, the Noblesse mistook her as another examiner and the two began to make small talk.

Cygnus noted that they had shown many knightly qualities during the exam, such as strength, knowledge, and perseverance. However, she added that a knight needed more than that. Upon seeing the Noblesse’s confusion, she asked them what differentiated a knight from a simple brawler. The Noblesse answered that a knight was someone who knew how to sacrifice for the weak, and though Cygnus acknowledged that it was important, she explained that a knight also needed to know when to make that sacrifice.

She then added that though they were all weak alone, they were stronger when they came together. She noted that the Noblesse still had a ways to go, though when the Noblesse asked whether it meant that they had failed, she laughed and explained that she simply meant that she was looking forward to seeing them grow with time.

Cygnus decided to name them a Knight-in-Training, but just as the Noblesse wondered how an examiner could knight them, Neinheart arrived urgently and reported that Baroq the Master of Disguise had infiltrated Ereve and stolen an important treasure. The Noblesse offered to help, and though Neinheart noted that they were not a trained knight, he nevertheless allowed them to join the search party, though he warned them not to engage Baroq.

The Noblesse soon encountered Mihile during their search and quickly deduced from his behavior that he was Baroq in disguise. After defeating him, they recovered the missing treasure and brought it to Neinheart. Neinheart congratulated the Noblesse for passing the mock training, explaining that it had been the final part of the examination. He added that the exercise had been based on an actual situation, in which Baroq truly had invaded Ereve and attempted to steal Shinsoo’s Teardrop.

(A/N: This is another name for the Seal Stone of Ereve. The name “Shinsoo’s Teardrop” has been around since Aran’s storyline, but we finally got a backstory to its nickname during Mihile’s level 200 quest. It reveals that during Orchid and Lotus’ attack on Ereve, both Aria and her Knight of Light had been killed in battle. Without an Empress to channel her power, Shinsoo grew weak and believed that she was unable to protect the Seal Stone anymore. She then bestowed it upon the Knight of Light’s successor, who placed it within his Soul Shield and began the tradition of the Knight of Light serving as the guardian of the gemstone. Shinsoo then renamed the Seal Stone as “Shinsoo’s Teardrop” in memory of Empress Aria’s death.)

The Noblesse expressed their surprise that they had been able to defeat the mock Baroq, to which Neinheart clarified that they would surely have been killed if they had been facing the real one. He emphasized that their decision to face Baroq alone despite being told not to engage in combat directly impacted their fellow knights and the Empress, which was why it was important that they remember that they didn't have to do everything by themselves.

He then sent them to meet with Cygnus, who would determine whether or not they had passed. Cygnus formally introduced herself after their brief meeting in the pavilion, and the Noblesse apologized for their behavior during the mock exam. Though Cygnus noted that Neinheart had been right to ask them to retreat in the mock training, the Noblesse had also demonstrated a knightly quality in marching towards their destiny with conviction. Because of this, Cygnus decided to formally recognize the Noblesse as a Cygnus Knight.

The Noblesse, now a Cygnus Knight, met with the five Chief Knights and chose their path. After learning new skills, they returned to Neinheart, who explained that the Cygnus Knights were investigating the Black Wings, and so he assigned them their first mission, which was to go to Victoria Island and investigate the actions of Francis the Puppeteer. He instructed them to seek out an informant named Roca, who would tell them more about the Black Wings.

In Henesys, they met with Roca, who began telling them about their mission. He explained that the Cygnus Knights had been formed to face the Black Mage, who had been sealed away by the Heroes centuries ago. Despite being sealed away, the Black Mage’s influence had spread to his followers, among which were the Black Wings, a militant cult that sought to revive him. He then asked them to follow a lead on reports of unusual monster activity on Suspicious Hill, where Roca believed that Francis was controlling the monsters with his puppets.

The Knight discovered several puppets in the Cynical Orange Mushrooms and brought them to Roca, who then asked them to investigate strange behavior in the Horny Mushrooms, which had gotten more aggressive. The Knight obtained puppets inside the Berserk Horny Mushrooms and brought them back to Roca, explaining that the Horny Mushrooms were even more aggressive than the Orange Mushrooms. Roca realized that the Puppeteer was indeed active again, though he wondered what he could be after.

Roca then asked the Knight to speak with Pia, who told them that no one would believe her testimony that Berserk Horny Mushrooms were near the Pet Park. The Knight went to investigate and discovered several large puppet dolls hanging from large pieces of rope. They also discovered a horde of Berserk Horny Mushrooms in the area. After defeating them, they reported back to Roca, who realized that Francis had likely intended for the monsters to raid Henesys. He decided to request for backup from Ereve and sent the Knight to work with 10 Boogies in Perion.

In Perion, 10 Boogies showed the Knight her Puppeteer Detector and explained that Oz had helped her create it. She told them that the detector was capable of picking up a trace of the magic that Francis used to control monsters. She told them that it had recently started picking up a large amount of activity near Perion and asked the Knight to investigate.

The Knight investigated the source of the signal and defeated the Berserk Ghost Stumps in the area. After they returned back, 10 Boogies checked the detector again and was shocked to find that there was a huge signal nearby, despite there not being a high number of monsters. She suspected that it might be Francis himself and emphasized that they needed to check as soon as possible before he left. Though she also realized that it may be a trap, she also knew that there wasn't enough time to request backup from Ereve, and so the Knight agreed to go in alone.

The Knight began to investigate and discovered a cave, inside which they discovered Francis creating puppets and complaining aloud that there was no way that he could invade every town in Victoria Island and gather enough energy for the Black Wings, noting that it had taken quite some time to conquer Edelstein to begin with. The Knight crept closer to hear better, but Francis immediately heard them and ordered the Knight to reveal themselves.

Having been discovered, the Knight fought and defeated Francis, who managed to retreat. The Knight noted that Francis had likely not been at full-strength, as he had been busy making more puppets. They returned back to 10 Boogies and told her about Francis' plan to invade Victoria Island with the monster army, as well as his goal to collect more energy. 10 Boogies was curious about why he had been sent to gather energy, but the Knight apologized and explained that they had been discovered before learning the answer. Nevertheless, she thanked them for their help as a Knight-in-Training and asked them to deliver her report to Neinheart in Ereve.

Neinheart was pleased that they had been able to defeat Francis with ease, informing them that Francis was the lowest-ranking Black Wings officer, and that the others would be much more difficult to defeat, as each of them had bizarre and powerful abilities. The Knight asked him why the Black Wings were trying to resurrect the Black Mage, to which Neinheart told them that the Black Wings believed that the Black Mage would allow them to rule the world, though Neinheart dismissed them as fools who were wasting their talents.

Nevertheless, he warned the Knight not to underestimate the Black Wings’ power, explaining that they had taken over the land of Edelstein. He told the Knight that Edelstein had once been prosperous in the mining industry before the Black Wings had taken over. As the Cygnus Knights were unsure about the Black Wings' motives, he told the Knight that he was sending them in to investigate. The Knight was eager to have been assigned the mission, as they hoped that their actions would make a difference to the people of Edelstein. However, Neinheart told them that he needed to explain something important before they were dispatched.

He told the Knight that there was a Resistance against the Black Wings, but that they were not allied with the Cygnus Knights. When the Knight asked why that was, Neinheart told them that they would learn the answer themselves on the mission. He also emphasized that they should expect no support from both the Resistance and the citizens of Edelstein. With that, he sent them to rendezvous with 10 Boogies in the outskirts of the town.

As they were about to board the airship, their Chief Knight arrived and asked whether it was true that they had defeated the Puppeteer. The Knight dismissed their actions as merely luck, and though their Chief Knight was pleased by their humbleness, they warned the Knight to remain vigilant, as darkness grew stronger even as they did. They then wished the Knight good luck on their mission, explaining that they had a mission of their own to complete.

(A/N: The Cygnus Knight revamp made an effort to actually give a personality to the Knight as being enthusiastic and humble to a fault. Prior to the Ignition revamp, the Knight was perhaps the most boring character out of all the three self-insert classes and had all the personality of a dead squirrel. Here, the Knight has some semblance of a character arc with learning to lean on other people and helping wherever they can, while the old Knight went through the story as though they were being paid even less than the minimum-wage writers who had drafted them into existence.)

In Edelstein, the Knight met with 10 Boogies, who was relieved to see a fellow Cygnus Knight. She told them that some of the local children had covered her in bugs while she had been asleep and had stolen her belongings. She asked the Knight to get them back, warning them not to reveal that they were a Cygnus Knight while doing so. While obtaining the items, the Knight was shocked to hear just how much animosity the townspeople held for the Cygnus Knights.

The children who had stolen 10 Boogies’ belongings led the Knight to a remote part of town and began to ask them about why they were helping a Cygnus Knight like 10 Boogies get her items back. The Knight told them that it was only right to help those in trouble. The children believed the Knight's explanation and agreed to give back the stolen items. When the Knight asked why they hated the Cygnus Knights, however, the children told them that everyone knew how the Cygnus Knights had betrayed the people of Edelstein. They then showed a flyer which contained misinformation, such as how Cygnus and her Knights were hollow shells, painted up in declarations of virtue. On the flyer, the Knight noticed a black symbol and decided to ask 10 Boogies about it.

(A/N: The Black Wings flyer has been added in the revamp. I like this change because it adds more weight to the Black Wings being an authoritarian government that manipulates the young people of their society. I’ve always said that the Black Wings should have been portrayed as more competent like Hiver and Eleanor, rather than being jokes like Baroq or Francis. Luckily, it seems like they’re going in a much more serious direction in the Grandis story with the way that they don’t shy away from showing the horrors of fascism under the rule of the High Flora.)

10 Boogies was relieved to get her belongings back and warned the Knight not to underestimate the hatred for the Cygnus Knights in Edelstein. She explained the story behind why the Resistance hated the Cygnus Knights and why even the citizens of Edelstein viewed them as traitors. The Knight then showed her the flyer denouncing Cygnus and asked about the symbol. 10 Boogies explained that it was the symbol of the Black Wings and suspected that they must have released such propaganda in order to further deepen Edelstein's hatred of the Cygnus Knights, to the point that the Resistance had stopped responding to all of the Cygnus Knights’ communication.

Nevertheless, she told them that their role as informants was to work with the citizens of Edelstein in spite of their hostility in order to learn the true goals of the Black Wings. She then explained that the Knight’s Chief Knight had reached out to her and asked her to supervise the Knight's training while on their mission, and so she had them defeat the Water Thief Monsters nearby.

After the Knight finished training, 10 Boogies asked them to speak with the townspeople in order to gather information, telling them to be careful not to let the citizens know that they were a Cygnus Knight. In town, the Knight spoke with Checky, Brighton, Elex, and Belle, all of whom immediately recognized them as a Cygnus Knight and rebuffed them. They then spoke with Claudine, who told them that one of the children who had stolen 10 Boogies’ belongings was her sister, Ulrika, who had told her that the Knight had claimed not to be a Cygnus Knight. When Claudine asked whether that was true, the Knight decided to be honest and revealed themselves as a Cygnus Knight, claiming that they just wanted to help the people of the town.

Annoyed, Claudine took them to a back alley in order to speak more freely. Claudine told them that the Knights didn’t understand Edelstein’s circumstances, and that lies and secrets only led to unnecessary complications while staying vigilant around the Black Wings. She then asked why the Cygnus Knights had come to Edelstein, to which they told her that they had come to gather information on the strange activities in Victoria Island. Claudine told them that they were free to do so, but warned them to give up on befriending the people of Edelstein. 

The Knight asked to get in contact with the Resistance, but Claudine merely scoffed and asked how they planned on allying with the Resistance when they couldn't even get the townspeople on their side. She added that for the sake of security, none of the citizens even knew about the identities of Resistance members. She also added that there was nothing to say to those who broke their word without even giving a proper justification as to why. The Knight replied that there must be some misunderstanding, as the Resistance had been ignoring all of Ereve's attempts at communication. However, Claudine retorted that it was the Cygnus Knights who had cut off communication.

(A/N: I’ve complained a lot about the Resistance-Cygnus Knight feud in the past, but this revamp changed my mind on it a little. It’s later revealed that the Black Wings cut off all communication between the two, which retroactively makes the conflict a little more understandable since the Resistance now knows nothing about Eleanor’s attack, rather than them knowing and not caring.)

She then told the Knight that they were wasting their time and warned them to go back to Ereve. As the Knight walked away, Claudine called the Resistance headquarters and told them that she had acquired their target. However, she also added that she had something that she wanted to confirm. (A/N: The scene fades to black here, but Claudine is likely trying to see whether the Knight was telling the truth about the Cygnus Knights sending letters.)

Though they had been told to leave, the Knight refused to give up and continued trying to find an ally in Edelstein. They soon ran into Ulrika, who told them that she knew what they were after and claimed to be a member of the Resistance, adding that her youth lent credibility to her story, as it was easier to avoid the suspicion of the Black Wings in order to help the Resistance on secret missions. (A/N: Ulrika actually has no idea that Claudine is in the Resistance because Claudine wants her to stay as uninvolved as possible for her safety.)

She offered to take them to the Resistance base in exchange for Black Plastic Bags from Dust Boxes and Streetlight Bulbs from Streetlight monsters, which she claimed to be for stocking their supplies. However, after the Knight collected them, Ulrika told them that the materials were actually for her homework. She then gave the Knight directions and went on ahead.

As the Knight followed Ulrika’s directions, she and her friends prepared to ambush the Knight by setting bugs on them, just as they had done with 10 Boogies. Upon hearing footsteps, they jumped out to launch their surprise attack, but realized that Black Wings henchmen had appeared instead. The henchmen realized that the children were pretending to be Resistance members and decided to kidnap them for Gelimer to use as test subjects.

Just then, the Knight arrived and found the henchmen advancing on the children. The Knight quickly defeated the henchmen, just as Checky rushed to the scene. Checky was grateful to the Knight, but told them that it still wouldn't change their image in the eyes of the townspeople. Nevertheless, he gave the Knight a note and told them to read it somewhere in private.

The Knight opened the note and read instructions for them to wait for a call at an abandoned phone booth in Edelstein Park. As soon as the Knight finished reading, the words on the note vanished. Soon after they entered the booth, the phone began to ring and they picked it up to hear the modulated voice of Claudine, making the Knight unable to decipher who was on the other end.

Claudine asked them what they wanted, to which the Knight explained that the Black Wings were active on Victoria Island, and that they wanted to know why. When Claudine asked if they expected the Resistance to share that information with the Cygnus Knights, the Knight pointed out that they had a common enemy. Claudine replied that she had no intention of allying with them, but as they had saved the children, she would share the information in order to make them even.

She explained that the Black Wings were directing all of Edelstein’s energy towards a single spot, which had been causing rolling blackouts in the city. The blackouts were affecting the city’s power plants, fish factory, lighting system, and even their water supply. She believed that the Black Wings were gathering large quantities of energy in order to fuel their top-secret experiment. She explained that the Resistance didn’t know what the experiment was, but they did know that the Black Wings were stealing Seal Stones from Maple World, and she believed that the two were likely related.

The Knight confirmed the Resistance's suspicions about the experiment by telling her what Francis had said in Perion. They also told her that the Black Wings were using children as test subjects, which they had learned while saving Ulrika and the others from the Black Wings henchmen. Claudine noted that they seemed to know a lot about it, but told them that she had shared enough and ordered them to leave Edelstein as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Brighton reported to Claudine that the Black Wings might have cut off communications. He noted that the Black Wings had a presence all across Maple World, and that it would be easy for them to cut communication lines or intercept letters in areas that they physically controlled. Claudine thanked him for the information, though she added that their primary focus was still to protect Edelstein.

The Knight returned to 10 Boogies and told her everything that they had learned from the Resistance. 10 Boogies noted that even though they now knew that Francis had been gathering energy for the experiment, they still needed to know what kind of experiment was being conducted. She asked the Knight to collect Memory Chips from the Patrol Robot S monsters in order to analyze their data, as well as Rue Batteries from Safety First monsters in order to power the analysis machine.

With the materials, they began processing the chips and found surveillance of Francis in Edelstein. 10 Boogies noted that he seemed to be using a side path to enter the mine, rather than the main entrance, and wondered why a Black Wings officer wouldn’t simply use the most direct route. She asked the Knight to investigate the side entrance, though she warned that it would be dangerous. Nevertheless, the Knight accepted and infiltrated the mine through the side entrance, where they found themselves in Francis’ room.

The Knight hid behind a large crystal in order to eavesdrop on Francis and Baroq. Francis was complaining to Baroq that the Cygnus Knights had foiled his plans once again and wondered why they always seemed out to get him. Baroq pointed out that the Cygnus Knights weren’t the only ones who targeted Francis, which he earnestly agreed to. He expressed his annoyance at everyone focusing on him, and how a new ‘hero’ seemed to appear all the time in order to mess up his plans, adding that all he wanted was to be recognized by ‘her’.

(A/N: Although this was translated as ‘him’ in both the old and new Cygnus Knight storyline, it should actually be ‘her’, referring to Orchid, but since Korean doesn’t really have gendered pronouns, it may have been lost in translation.)

Baroq realized that Francis had come through the side entrance because he had failed his mission and warned that ‘the master’ wouldn’t be happy. Francis replied that it wasn’t that he was afraid of the master, but rather, he hated dealing with Gelimer. As the Knight overheard their conversation, they realized that they had never heard of Gelimer before.

Baroq told Francis that he didn’t care for Gelimer either and added that he had heard a rumor that Gelimer had angered the master. Francis asked what had happened, to which Baroq explained that Gelimer had fallen behind his timetable once again, thus delaying the ‘resurrection’. Though it had been Gelimer’s fault, Baroq added that he had been blamed as well, as the master had said that they wouldn’t have gotten off-track if Baroq had managed to obtain the Seal Stone of Ereve.

After hearing their conversation, the Knight began wondering about what the Seal Stone of Ereve had to do with the 'resurrection', as well as whose resurrection it was. As the Knight moved closer to hear, they accidentally caused a disturbance, alerting Francis and Baroq to their presence. With no choice, the Knight stepped out and faced the two Black Wings officers.

Though they managed to defeat the pair, the Knight realized that both the officers were extremely powerful. The Knight asked them who Gelimer was and what the Black Wings were plotting, but Baroq merely laughed and asked if the Knight had really thought that he had used the full extent of his powers. Just then, a garrison of Black Wings henchmen appeared and surrounded the Knight, with Baroq revealing that he had been going easy on them in order to buy time.

As the Black Wings advanced on the Knight, the leaders of the Resistance arrived and quickly extracted the Knight from the cave. After reaching safety, the Knight told the Resistance what they had overheard from the Black Wings. The Resistance was pleased with the information, as it not only confirmed that Gelimer’s experiments were related to resurrection, but that there was a schism within the Black Wings as well. However, they were less pleased by how the Knight had obtained that information, admonishing them for their reckless behavior, as the Black Wings would retaliate by cracking down on the citizens of Edelstein.

Though Claudine agreed with the others, she also noted that the Knight had obtained valuable information. As the other Resistance leaders headed back to base, Claudine stayed behind to let the Knight know that she had merely owed them personally a favor, not the Cygnus Knights, and that they were now even.

Before she left, she also told them that she had learned that the Black Wings were the ones who had been blocking communication between the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights. However, she added that she had only investigated in order to correct the facts, and that the Resistance had no intention of reconciliating with the Cygnus Knights. She then told them to report back to Ereve that the Cygnus Knights would never earn their trust.

Dejected, the Knight returned to 10 Boogies and told her what had happened in the mine. 10 Boogies was amazed by the Knight’s bravery, noting that they had made contact with the Resistance and learned new information, all while not even being a full-fledged knight yet. She then sent them back to Ereve in order to give Neinheart their full report.

When the Knight told Neinheart of how the Resistance had reacted to the Cygnus Knights, he explained that part of a Cygnus Knight’s job was to learn how to deal with animosity, adding that part of what it meant to serve their land meant facing and accepting its people’s anger and resentment. The Knight protested that it hadn’t even been their fault, as the Black Wings had hindered them and blocked off communications.

Neinheart told them that the day would come when the Resistance would come to see the truth about the Cygnus Knights, though he added that the Knights would need to learn to accept the Resistance’s anger until then., especially because it had been the Cygnus Knights' fault for not having foreseen the Black Wings' sabotage in advance. He then told them that they should not be afraid of being criticized, as a flower could not bloom without dirt. The Knight noted how philosophical it sounded, to which Neinheart laughed that he and Mihile would spend long nights discussing philosophy, while Hawkeye merely called it hogwash. He then asked the Knight to deliver their report to the Empress.

After the Knight told Cygnus about what had happened on Victoria Island and Edelstein, Cygnus noted that they had gone through a lot in such a short amount of time and thanked them for their efforts. The Knight dismissed themselves as merely a Knight-in-Training, but Cygnus told them that they were doing well, and that no one could be perfect. She explained that she herself was not old enough to fully accept Shinsoo’s power, while in contrast, their enemies were getting stronger, with the Black Wings' experiments for the resurrection boding ill.

She added that their fight against the Black Wings was just the beginning, as they would be facing a greater darkness soon, for which it was imperative that the Cygnus Knights reconcile with the Resistance. She then told them to keep growing and asked them to seek out their Chief Knight. Their Chief Knight told them that they were impressed by how much they had accomplished, especially given that they were only a Knight-in-Training. They then suggested that the Knight take the Official Knighthood exam.

Once the Knight accepted, the Chief Knight asked them to go to the Second Drill Hall and defeat a clone of a Jr. Balrog, which was significantly weaker than the real one, though challenging nevertheless. The Knight defeated the clone and brought back a Proof of Knighthood, after which their Chief Knight promoted them to Official Knight.

The Knight then set out to train in Victoria Island in order to hone their skills. Some time later, Neinheart contacted them and explained that it was unusual that someone who had been an Official Knight for so long would still be walking on their own feet. He wrote them a letter of introduction and told them to show it to Kiridu in the Hatchery, who would teach them to ride monsters.

At the Hatchery, Kiridu scoffed that Neinheart didn’t need to write a letter, as it was obvious that anyone who was coming to see him had to be from Ereve. He explained that the Knights rode Mimianas of the Mimi race, all of whom were native to the island. He urged them to consider their Mimiana as both a friend and a comrade, rather than just a mode of transportation, explaining that creating such a bond was the very reason why the Cygnus Knights grew their Mimianas themselves.

He gave them a Mimiana egg and told them that it would develop by sharing their experiences with it. Soon after, Mimiana hatched and the Knight brought it to Kiridu. He told them that Mimiana’s bones were too weak to handle a saddle, and so he told them to seek out Kenta in the Aquarium in order to obtain his Special Supplements. After paying a hefty fee, the Knight brought the supplements to Kiridu, who fed them to Mimiana and taught the Knight how to ride it, giving them a Saddle as well. (A/N: Kenta is the king of capitalism. I’m convinced that his research is just a front to avoid paying taxes.)

The Knight then continued training diligently until they were contacted once again by Neinheart, who noted that they seemed to have made a name for themselves during their travels. He called them back to Ereve, where he asked whether they would be willing to try becoming an Advanced Knight, explaining that he wanted someone as strong as them to be an example to other Cygnus Knights about how strong they could become. He also added that as their enemies were growing stronger, it was imperative that they grow stronger as well.

Neinheart sent the Knight to meet with their Chief Knight, who agreed that they had become stronger. However, they explained that while their Official Knighthood exam had tested their strength, their Advanced Knighthood exam would test their faith. They explained that a Knight's faith was revealed when facing inner darkness, and so they sent the Knight to the Third Drill Hall, where the Knight faced their inner darkness in the form of a dark shadow. They then reported back to their Chief Knight, who was pleased and sent them to meet the Empress. Cygnus was impressed by their growth and unlocked greater power within them before promoting them to Advanced Knight.

Soon after, Neinheart reached out to them again and noted that they had grown much stronger. He explained that he had an urgent secret mission that he normally would have only trusted a Chief Knight to undertake, but as all the Chief Knights were away on missions, he had decided to entrust it to the Knight on their Chief Knight's recommendation. He asked them to retrieve a special book from Wiz the Librarian at Helios Library, emphasizing that it was highly important.

(A/N: This questline was actually the original 3rd job advancement in the old storyline, although it was pretty straightforward and didn’t involve the Resistance at all like it does in this version. The book that we had to get in the original quest was the Book of Ancient, which was recovered in the El Nath town quests for Alcaster. The Book of Ancient was used in the war from 300 years ago, which is the same war that resulted in the extinction of the Noblesse.

In both the original and current iteration of this quest, it’s never explicitly stated that the book is the Book of Ancient. However, one of the quests in the old questline was literally just called “Book of Ancient”, which suggested that the book that we were collecting was the Book of Ancient. However, the names of all the quests in the current iteration of the questline have been renamed, and so there’s nothing to explicitly confirm that this book is still the Book of Ancient.)

At the library, however, Wiz told them that a group of unidentified people with strange devices and animals had demanded him to give them the book shortly before the Knight had arrived. He explained that the book was ancient and had recently been found on an old bookshelf in Helios Library. As it had been written in a strange language, he had no idea what the contents of the book were, although he added that the Cygnus Knights had asked to retrieve it upon learning that the Black Wings were trying to take it.

The Knight chased after the group and caught up with them near Ludibrium Station. They were surprised to find that the group was comprised of the Resistance leaders. The Knight asked them to hand the book over, but Claudine refused to give it up, claiming that the Cygnus Knights would only hide the book away, rather than use it against the Black Wings. However, the Knight refused to give up, explaining that it was their mission to bring the book back to Ereve.

As tensions grew higher, Black Wings henchmen suddenly arrived to seize the book. The group switched focus to fighting the Black Wings henchmen. During the battle, Claudine was injured, and just as more enemies closed in, the Knight’s Chief Knight and a legion of Cygnus Knights arrived to reinforce them.

As the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights began squabbling over the book, Claudine unexpectedly ordered the others to retreat and gave the book to the Knight, claiming that it would be safer in Ereve than in Edelstein, which the Black Wings had made their base. She added that she now knew that the Knight was powerful and admitted that the Resistance wouldn’t have been able to protect the book without their help. She told the Knight that as the Resistance still didn’t trust them, they would be keeping watch from afar.

The Chief Knight then asked the Knight to deliver the book to Neinheart, who congratulated them on their successful mission. He thanked them for recovering the book, explaining that it was extremely important and could never fall into the hands of the Black Mage or his followers. The Knight asked what was written in the book, as Wiz had mentioned that it was in a strange language.

Neinheart told them that all he knew that it was a research journal on ancient powers. He explained that long ago, the Ancient Gods had ruled Maple World with their own laws. (A/N: For some reason, GMS forgot to include this line giving background about the Ancient Gods, and so Neinheart instead just jumps into the next sentence, in which he references “those gods” without having initially mentioned them in the first place.) Though it was unknown who had written the book, nor how or why it had been written, it was clear that it had been written about powers that no longer existed in Maple World, meaning that it had to have been written countless ages ago. He explained that seemingly by chance, the book had resurfaced in Helios Library, as though someone had put a bookmark into that moment.

(A/N: My theory is that the book was written by Kirston, who had been researching the Ancient Gods in Partem, as well as the prophecy about the First Explorer during the time of Ellin Forest. Since we have no idea how old he really is, it’s entirely possible that he could’ve been alive during the era of the Ancient Gods.

Although there’s nothing that explicitly confirms that this book is the Book of Ancient, it’s possible that this could still be true. The El Nath town quests reveal that the Book of Ancient contains forbidden magic, which was used as a weapon during the war from 300 years ago. The very first version of the Book of Ancient quest, before the questline was condensed, stated that the book was written by someone named Elmina, who also had a special ring used to unlock the book. If they do plan to make this the Book of Ancient, it’s possible that we might actually get to see Elmina, who was only mentioned in the questline once or twice.)

He explained that he had sent the Cygnus Knights to obtain the book, not because they sought the ancient power for themselves, but because they wanted to keep it out of the Black Wings’ hands. He also added that their relationship with the Resistance was less than ideal, and so he hoped to arrange a place to talk with them as soon as possible.

Neinheart then sent the Knight to speak with Cygnus, who asked them about their experience with the Resistance during the mission. The Knight confessed that they and the Resistance hadn’t been able to get past their differences, though Cygnus remained optimistic that reconciliation was possible. She also reminded the Knight that they were not alone and wished them well on their journey to grow stronger.